Chapter 9

Sabrina's back is to Nathan as she talks to Jayden. They talk about his dogs, and how they're his best friends. He has two of them both pit-bulls.

Suddenly, she looks at him strangely when he looks over her shoulder distractingly. Before she could turn around, her breath hitches. She feels a large, firm hand on her back.

“You want to stop flirting with my wife?" Nathan warns

"He wasn't flirting with me." She defends immediately.

"This is your wife?" Jayden’s brows shoot up.

"Don't you see her ring?" He holds out her left hand.

"He wasn't flirting with me." She defends again.

"No, I was definitely flirting," He confirms.

Nathan's grip tightens on her shirt. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Relax…." He holds his hands up. "I didn't know she was yours. I thought she was a nanny." He turns away shaking his head angrily, giving Nathan no chance to respond.

He grips Sabrina's hips and keeps her in place.
"Sabrina, so help me God, you better stop flirting with other men."

"I wasn't flirting with him."

He hauls her up against him. "Good… Remember you're married." He gave her a quick kiss on the mouth so hard that when he pulled away, she was dazed and her eyes dilated.

He slides his palm up her neck and cups her jaw causing her to curl her fingers around his forearm
Intensely, he searches her features forgetting anything around them existed.
He hears her breathing become rapid, and a soft gasp leaves her mouth as he traces his thumb on her bottom lip.
He dips down and gently kisses her. He coaxed her into obedience, making her comply with his eager mouth. "Hmm."

She pulls away suddenly. "Wait..." She blinks to get her eyes into focus. "There are kids around." She whispers.

That seemed to have snapped him out of his trance. He looks around to see if anyone was paying attention to them, and then back at her.

He didn’t release her. He glided his hands down her shoulders and gripped her hands. He lets go of one and pulls the other toward the table he was sitting at.
"Bryson, can you move over?" He asks a guy on the end.

It was only guys at the table. Clarissa, Baylee, and Lola had left.

He scoots over, and Nathan sits near him and puts Sabrina on the end. She slides in close enough to feel his warmth.

"This is Bryson and Sam. My cousins." He states dismissively.

“Hello.” She waves.

“Hey.” Bryson waves back.

She felt uncomfortable being the only female at the table. She only knew Jacob, and he was in conversation with the other three men. She turns in her seat to look at the kids playing.

"Where do you think you're going?" He applies pressure on her thigh.

The conversation stops, everyone’s attention aimed at her.

"Nowhere." She shakes her head.

He watches her for a moment longer until he's distracted by a question.

"How long have you two been together?" Bryson asks.

He looks at his cousin and then back to his wife. "How long now, sweetheart?"
He could tell the endearment affected her.

"Um...married for just over a year now." She gets out. He loved the fact that it wasn't easy for her to lie.

Bryson nods his head accepting that answer.

Sabrina listens as they talk about some new limited edition car when her bladder starts to feel like it's going to pop, she puts her hands on his shoulders and watches as he stiffens. She was a little embarrassed, so she stretches up to his ear.

He takes her other hand resting on the table welcoming the embrace.
"Yes, sweetheart." He realizes that she was trying to say something. He turns his head so his face would touch hers.

"I'm going to the bathroom." She replies.

He smiles subtly and nods. He affected her. He knew it.

She comes out of the bathroom wondering if she should even go back. He was starting to get to her. He's was just too good.
She could see why women crumble at his feet. She plans for bed and movie then she thought for a second. It would look so weird if she just didn't come back. So she ties her hair in a ponytail feeling somehow it would help her be stronger and heads back out.

Outside, the sky was tainted with darkness now and the air had become cooler. Someone had started a bonfire and given the kids marshmallows to roast.

As she gets near where Nathan was sitting, a wave of nausea hits her and she stops in her tracks. Lola stood behind Nathan and was rubbing on his shoulders. Disgusted was the only word that came to mind. She really could vomit if she opened her mouth. He was supposed to be a married man and yet here he was allowing and enjoying her touch.
She ogled as Lola began sliding her fingertips gently along his neck. She wanted to turn around and run away and she planned on just that, but she couldn’t move. Her eyes narrowed suddenly to Jacob who she realized was looking at her with wide eyes.

It was only then, with the feeling of embarrassment, did she turn around and run back inside. She hurried up the stairs and locked herself in the bathroom. She felt Pathetic. She knew their marriage wasn't real but everyone else didn't. Couldn't he at least give her the respect of pretending to be faithful when people were around?
Degraded, demeaned and mad wasn't even close to describing how she felt.
She glares at herself in the mirror grinding on her teeth. He accused her of flirting when all she did was be friendly, and another woman had her hands all over him the moment she wasn't around.
The sound of the bedroom door opening suddenly hits her ears. She listens to his footsteps approaching. Then...

*knock knock knock* "Sabrina." He calls. I know you're in there come out."

"Leave me alone."

"Come out and talk to me like a civilized person."

"Are you deaf? Leave me alone."

He releases a breath. "You have to face me sometime."

Forty-five minutes of hearing absolutely nothing on the other side of the door, she opens it. Nathan was sitting in the front of the bed. When he sees her, he stands.

"Please don't. Whatever you're going to say it doesn't matter." She briskly moves to the closet. "It's not like we're really together."

She picks out pajamas and goes back into the bathroom to change.

When she comes out, Nathan is changed into long plaid pants that were hanging off his hips. His rigid muscles and six-pack stare were staring at her.
"Sabrina, let me explain." He comes towards her.

She went around him, running away. If he touched her, she would melt, and then how pathetic would she be?

"Nathan. You don't have to explain anything to me." She goes on her side of the bed fluffing pillows. Before she knows it, he grabs her and spins her around. He peers down with a regretful gentle gaze. "I thought it was you. I thought you came back from the bathroom. I didn't turn to look because I didn't think anyone else would touch me like that."

She didn't know what to feel at that moment. The relief was the first to come. Then curiosity.
"Why weren't any of the guys telling you? I saw Jacobs's surprised face when he noticed me."

"I ask them the same thing." He greets his teeth and tightens his hold on her. "They said they wanted to see my reaction when I realized it wasn't you. They wanted a laugh."

"How is that funny?"

He lets out a breath and puts her to sit on the bed near him. "Growing up, I always had this thing with people touching me unnecessarily. I don't like it."

"Why?" Her brows join.

"I don't know really. It's annoying mostly. "

She nods “Okay I guess.”

Do you believe me?"

“Yeah…” She nods. He didn’t have a reason to lie.

"I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter." She looks at her fiddling fingers.

He lets out a long breath of defeat. “I’ll just be back.” He moves to the bathroom.

She goes to the window and surveys outside. It now completely was dark out. The family was piling into their cars and limos. The party was over.

She walks over to Nathan's nightstand, takes the remote, and jumps back on her side. She settles on watching a girly movie. It was just after eight. She couldn't sleep if she wanted to and definitely didn't want to go back downstairs. Nathan soon comes back and joins her on the bed.
"I'm not watching this." He states looking over.

"Why don't you go back to the party. The guests are leaving. You should say goodbye."

"Trust me, no one expects that."

She gives him the remote. "Here."

He takes it and puts on something more to his liking and if she wasn't mistaken he inched closer and closer to her too. She could smell him. The smell was intoxicating. It made her whole body relax. She moved a little closer. She felt like she might have had a few drinks. Everything down to her eyelids was loose. Her body sinks into the bed and she whimpers.

They were a foot away from each other. It wasn't good enough for Nathan. He was fascinated by her every move. She enthralled him. He puts his hand around her and pulled her on his chest.
Her whole body tensed up and then relaxed again.

"Nathan."She puts her hand on his chest pushing herself up weakly.

"Sabrina." He groans in protest.

He pulls her back down and grabs her leg while fixing her to lay on him even more.

She can't help it. She wanted to stay there. She let herself ease into the comfort he was offering. He takes her hand, kisses it, and holds it across his stomach.

She couldn't focus on the movie. Especially since he started running his hands along her arms. "Why are you doing this, Nathan?
Kill the moment with a question.